Poplar coloring

[Doug Klann]

I have a line on buying some uniquely colored poplar with beautiful greens, blues, purples. I had previously purchased a similar colored board for another project which didn't need a finish on it and the colors all changed to a brown. My question is will a good finish on this wood maintain its coloring or will it still fade to brown tones? If so what type of finish would be best?

Thanks for any input.

[Lee Schierer]

Wish it would but it won't. The colors fade rather quickly when exposed to UV light. A finish may delay the color change, but eventually it will all change to brown, albeit darker brown than the lighter colored wood. I wouldn't pay extra for the color.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

The only good finish for poplar is paint. Honestly, it is not a wood that lends itself to staining or natural finish. the sapwood yellows and the heartwood turns brown. Enjoy it for it's low cost and workability but make projects that need to be painted.
fmr

[Doug Klann]

That is what I was afraid of. I don't plan to pay any more than 50 cents a board foot. It is in an online auction. Dang it is some good looking stuff right now with the colors. Such a shame I can't keep in like that!!! Thanks for the input. It is appreciated.

[Peter Quinn]

I've heard of people paying a premium for the very whitest poplar for use with dyes to approximate other species, but never a premium for the colored stuff. My experience has been similar to others in that the purples and greens fade quickly to a dull mottled brown. Not a nice even brown like old maple can achieve, more of a "What the heck happened to this stuff" kind of brown. At work it is used almost exclusively for paint grade work or as secondary wood, though an odd customer here and there will use it for stain grade, mostly as a cost saver, and then they pay a slight premium to have all white clear boards selected.